This post
won’t go where wine critics and their critics have gone before. Instead, it
will urge you to do something Canadians are not doing: spend less on a bottle
of wine. Wait, isn’t this blog about la
dolce vita and enjoying life? Of course it is, and as we, and many others
have stated before, life is too short to drink plonk. But paying more doesn’t
necessarily mean more quality.

During
these austere times, everyone is watching their pennies as the cost of living
outpaces pay packets so this fine Wine Wednesday’s recommendation urges you to
save your dollars but enjoy the quality of Quinta do Portal Late Bottled
Vintage Port 2003 (Vintages
31001 at LCBO) retailing for $14.95 in Ontario.

We had a
winter with low rainfall and an average temperature higher than normal. With
April came a heat wave and also quite a lot of rain that allowed a considerable
vegetative expansion. In May the temperatures were lower than expected what
allied to high rainfall led to some "desavinho" and
"bagoinha". August was crucial and marked the average quality of the
grapes due to an extraordinary thermic amplitude. The maturations were slow but
effective. During the harvest the temperatures were mild and the rainfall weak.
In quantity terms we had less than 40% of the normal crop.

In summary,
these were perfect conditions – worthy of the label Vintage.

Late Bottled Vintage (LBV): The
Sweet Spot

Don’t
burn a hole in your wallet by buying a Vintage port and don’t disappoint your
taste buds with a tawny. LBVs are the sweet spot and this iteration scores high
on the QPR. Andrew
Sainsbury put it well by stating:

It is for
this reason that LBVs are often referred to as "the poor man's vintage
port", or, as The World Atlas of Wine more delicately dubs them, "the
modern man's vintage port." Both of these descriptions are apt, because
LBVs are less expensive (for the poor man) and require less time (for the
impatient modern man) than vintage ports. Whether modern man, poor man, or like
me, a little of both, LBVs should be your go to category of ports as the best
of them can deliver a powerful and complex port drinking experience without the
investment of time and money required to enjoy vintage ports.

A silky mouth
feel is contrasted nicely by a slight tannic structure, with a plush mixture of
cherries, berries and melons. The deep ruby colour and good legs is rounded out
with a long finish. Drink now or cellar for 3 more years if you can wait. The
acidity will pair well with Leicestershire Stilton or rich vanilla ice cream
but there is no need: drink by itself and serve to your dinner guests and
reflect upon the good life as you watch the crackling fireplace.

Just
remember that the Qunita do Portal LBVs are unfiltered so if you are patient
and a purist, please decant. If you are impatient with no time for puritans, then
pour through a tea strainer. Either way, you will be rewarded with a great LBV port
without the sticker shock of vintage port and understand why Roy Hersh and Jancis
Robinson consider it a hidden gem. SukasaStyle agrees.